Life and Work with Ashley Jackson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Jackson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Ashley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When asked this question, I tend to start back in middle school. I had a wonderful science teacher who not only put up with my constant questions but encouraged me to read more about science. He also happened to oil paint and with his advice, I started taking oil painting lessons myself. He taught me that you don’t have to be a certain way to be in the STEM fields. There is plenty of room for the love of art. I continued taking as many arts and advance math and science classes as I could. I went to an engineering-focused college and then wanting to fill my desire for art more, I went to architecture school in New Orleans. After graduating, I moved to Colorado. I learned an important lesson through college and grad school. The place you live is important to support how you live. I love the outdoors and have always had a sense of adventure. Although I thought I was passionate about outdoorsy sports, compared to those back where I am from in South Carolina, I feel like my interests are barely the tip of the iceberg of outdoorsy Colorado or its inhabitants have to offer. It has given me the chance to work hard on my career path while playing outside though. I have successfully worked in an architectural setting and now I am a licensed Architect. I missed engineering though and so made a bold move to an engineering firm. It isn’t what I would call a typical structural engineering firm though because they have a passion for architecture and even design the facades of buildings (which is traditional an architectural task).

Has it been a smooth road?
The struggles I have had that stick out to me the most are those driven out of self-doubt and self-identity. Despite what my middle school teacher showed me, it is not very common to find art/architectural driven people that also have a need to fulfill their engineering side too. It is a very Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde feeling. I have two dissect needs to satisfy and yet no clear path to do so. I am pursuing two distinct career paths simultaneously. It is very difficult to judge which direction is “best” or which “choices” I need to make to become “successful.” I try my best to balance my architecture and engineering passions and satisfy them in different ways. To help fulfill my engineering half, I have tutored math and even teach a class at the community college now. To help satisfy my other artsy half, I have submitted to various artist competitions and am learning to sew. I love to try new things and have typically given anything a go that might support my passions. Despite all of this, it can seem like I am not doing enough for one half of me to make up for focusing on the other half. I have had to re-examine what I consider success serval times. As I have progressed through my career, I have few people I can look up-to to follow. So, as I carve my own path, I find that I feel behind my counterparts who have solely focused on one of the career paths I am on. I have to redefine success from being about money, titles, and a number of publications. I try to focus on the achievements I have made that make me feel accomplished. Some are career-related like getting my licensure while some are not like finishing my first half marathon last year. I think the advice I would give from all of this is to not let others put you down or say you are not good enough just because you are not fulfilling their ideals of success for you. And this includes not letting yourself tell you this either. It is important to listen to your gut and enjoy life to the best of your ability.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I design buildings. I am an architect and structural engineer. In the construction industry, these are two fields that don’t always respect one another. I love bridging the gap between the two and finding solutions that are informed by both backgrounds.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Finding a mentor is such a tough thing to do in my experience. I have found it is hard to find a mentor outside of your direct work environment. Luckily, everywhere I have worked has had amazing women ahead of me to look up to and act as my mentor. When I am interviewing at places, I always like to see how many women are senior staff. That has always been a huge positive to working somewhere for me. I have also had a few men who have acted like mentors as well. Being in a field that is still highly dominated by men, it is still nice to have at least one other woman around you that have been where you are now.

Contact Info:

• Email: ashleyjackson@mac.com

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